We skip ahead to chapter 10, where we see the author recapitulate the thought of 6:4-6, but with additional explanation.
It’s important to realize that the first part of chapter 10 culminates a lengthy discussion going back to chapter 7 regarding the “once for all” and “perfect forever” nature of our salvation.
The author also concludes a midrash on Jeremiah 31, which began in Heb 8, in which Jeremiah explains how the new covenant will be superior to the Mosaic covenant. Therefore, chapter 10 begin in exultation for the wonders of the salvation we have.
We begin at the end of this section of chapter 10 —
(Heb 10:15-18) The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: 16 “This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” 17 Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” 18 And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.
Verses 15-17 refer back to the portion of Jeremiah quoted back in chapter 8. God promises to write his laws on our hearts and minds in the new covenant and to no longer remember our sins and lawlessness. God promised the Spirit and grace.
The author concludes that because our sins “have been forgiven,” the sacrifice of Jesus is sufficient to forgive all our sins — and we need no other sacrifice and no repeat of Jesus’ sacrifice. You see,
(Heb 10:13-14) Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, 14 because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
Because we are “being made made holy” — that is, not fully holy but growing in holiness — we have been “made perfect forever.” The forgiveness we received at baptism establishes a continuing state of forgiveness that extends until we die. We need no further sacrifice for our sins besides the death of Jesus, which we participated in through our baptism.
(Heb 10:19-22) Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
The result is confidence and assurance — a confidence built on the sacrifice of Jesus, the superiority of Jesus as our great high priest, and our baptism, which is when we received forgiveness.
(Heb 10:23-25) Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
God, of course, is faithful. We, however, need to be careful not to swerve. The word translated “unswervingly” or “unwavering” (KJV) has as its root “lean” — the first step toward a fall.
To avoid wavering, we need to encourage one another and spur one another toward love and good deeds. As in chapter 3, the writer sees the “one another” relationships we enjoy in church as essential to persevering to the end. We should help each other, and that means we need to meet so we can do that.
The idea of the assembly, thus, is not obedience to a prescribed ritual, but a place we go to encourage beloved brothers and sisters to push on to the end.
Now, the verb is active. We don’t go to be encouraged. He tells us to attend so we can encourage others. And, of course, there is nothing more encouraging than being an encourager — and nothing less encouraging than being an emotional sponge, demanding attention rather than giving attention.
But the encouragement he urges is not encouragement to obey the rules. Rather, it’s encouragement to love and good works. You see, one of the essentials of Christian living is servanthood — and servants serve. We grow in Jesus, not by being emotionally catered to, but by rolling up our sleeves and serving others. (I don’t know why we so rarely teach this.)
Now, why is it that the author is concerned that we not swerve and that we spur and encourage each other? Well, he answers that in the next passage —
(Heb 10:26-31) If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
We must immediately note that he is only speaking of those Christians who deliberately keep on sinning. We all continue to sin. We all sometimes sin deliberately. But only a few deliberately keep on sinning. You see, to deliberately keep on sinning means you’ve rejected the Lordship of Jesus. You no longer even try to obey him. Rather, you are no longer concerned with what Jesus wants.
He is plainly not speaking about the weakness common to us all. And he’s not talking about a moment of weakness. Rather, the warning is for those who are no longer penitent — who are no longer even trying to be obedient.
Who is he talking about?
As in 6:4-6, we have to consider whether he’s really talking about Christians and whether he’s really talking about damnation. Well, consider the context. This passage follows the instructions not to waver and to encourage each other. Those exhortations are plainly directed at Christians. So is this one.
He is speaking to those who —
* Have received the knowledge of the truth
* Been sanctified by the blood of the covenant.
“Sanctified” is the same word used in 10:10 and 10:14 to refer to the saved. He’s talking about saved people, not those pretending to be saved.
Good morning Jay,
"But the encouragement he urges is not encouragement to obey the rules. Rather, it’s encouragement to love and good works. You see, one of the essentials of Christian living is servanthood — and servants serve. We grow in Jesus, not by being emotionally catered to, but by rolling up our sleeves and serving others. (I don’t know why we so rarely teach this.)"
Visit us at White's Chapel for some teaching on serving others – 'I have no rights, you have no responsibilities, the responsibilities are all mine and the rights are all yours' for example.
Now, note particularly the statement "encouragement to love and good works." I understand the "good works" to be the same as "obey the rules." But you wrote, "not encouragement to obey the rules." I understand good works to be obeying the rules/commandments. They are the same thing. How could I know how to demonstrate love through good works without the commandments for direction? I need to study the commandments as diligently as I can in order that my faith may properly work by love. I would not know how to love apart from God's instruction through His commands.
As you know, there is serious emphasis on doctrine in the epistles. Is your position that doctrine is only determined by a specific, direct command and there is no validity to example or clear inference? It would seem to me that we should try to worship, etc. as closely as possible to the way they did in the NT. We would know that that was right. Why take a chance on something that at best would be questionable and at worst condemning? These are my humble thoughts, my brother.
John
John,
You wrote: "How could I know how to demonstrate love through good works without the commandments for direction?"
Just try to apply what Jesus said: Love one another, as he loved us. That's the only command that matters. Admittedly, you'll have to think about it, and you may not always get it right, but that's all that is required of you.
Following Jesus is not about checking off boxes on a list of do's and don'ts. It's about having a heart to give yourself to others for their good, without expecting or requiring anything in return.
Repeatedly, the Text points out that it's about where your heart is, not how successfully you are at following rules.
John
How do you define encouragement? I hope it is to prop a wavering soul who is having a serious problem in life and is consumed with that problem to the point of doubting that God even cares about them. When one who has this problem and no one seems to care then it is a landslide to sin. Heb 3 tells us to help daily the one with a sinful unbelieving heart.
I have never seen a COC worship service that was even close to the way they did it in the NT.
Encouragement comes in many forms, the least is a smile and acknowledgement of your being there.
Bob
The only direct command and there are three are to Love God, love yourself and love others. If we do thids everything will fall into place.
I don't believe in a salvation by works, I also don't believe in a salvation that doesn’t produce good works. There is no salvation by works, but there is no salvation that doesn’t evidence itself in good works. Salvation produces holy living. Salvation brings forth the pursuit of holiness.
The warnings in Hebrews are not to genuine believers, but are warnings to those who claim they are saved, but in reality are not. These passages are tests of genuineness. They are the means to test whether someone is a genuine believer or not. They are used to distinguish between those who are truly saved and those who are not. A person can profess faith, but if there is no obedience to the Word of God, their claim of the faith is empty, they are not saved.
Hebrews 4:1-2 “Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.”
True Christianity produces individuals who live for righteousness sake, false Christianity can be tested by the individual who practices a lifestyle of sin.
1 John 3:7-10 “Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.”
The unsaved participate partaking that which is of Christ all the time. The gospel had been preached to these people, they gained knowledge of Christ, they have been to churches, they have tasted heavenly things, they have seen the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit manifested in their presence. They were to go on to a full genuine acceptance or to fall to a willful conscious enmity against Christ, and the sin of rejecting Him, and putting Him to an open shame. Those who don’t hold firm were never eternally saved. The writer of Hebrews is speaking to the unsaved who have heard the truth, but who have hesitated to embrace Christ.
As we see the writer of Hebrews also speaks to those who have genuine faith as in verses 6:9-20.
“But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”
The Lord Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.”(John 10:27-30), Paul gives us assurance saying, “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”(Romans 8:38-39), “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” (Ephesians 1:13-14). We can be confident that God keeps us as He promises to complete what He started in us, “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6).
We should be encouraged by God’s faithfulness to always help us and protect us.
Psalm 18:1-2 “I will love You, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
Psalm 18:28 “For You will light my lamp; The LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.”
Psalm 32:7 “You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.”
Psalm 36:5 “Your mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.”
Psalm 37:39-40 “But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in the time of trouble. And the LORD shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, And save them, Because they trust in Him.”
Psalm 48:14 “For this is God, Our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to death.”
Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.”
Psalm 63:7-8 “Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me.”
Psalm 73:26 “My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
Psalm 91:1-2 “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”
Psalm 94:18 “If I say, “My foot slips,” Your mercy, O LORD, will hold me up.”
Psalm 103:12 “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.”
Psalm 121:2 “My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.”
Psalm 138:7 “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand Against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me.”
I trust when I put my life in His hands there couldn’t be a more secure place to be. God is my strength, my stronghold, He always revives me, God helps me and holds me up even when I am at my weakest.
2 Peter 2:9 “Then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment.”
People need to totally embrace Christ with all of their life, not just part of it. I trust God with all of my life, everything about me is in His hands, my weaknesses, my fears, my doubts. Whatever Satan wants to throw at me, God is with me, He will protect me. I encourage people who are learning to trust God that they can trust Him with all of their life.
1 John 3:7-10 “Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.”
Anon
I think the above was said in the previous post.
Look at Jeremiah 18:1-4. The Potter and the clay. How do you understand what God says about his response to our actions? What about the clay that marred in the Potters hand?
Bob
I did post much of the same, which is what I believe the Bible to teach.
I see a very big contradiction to what the COC teaches about salvation and what the Bible teaches.
Anon
I cherish your views and I don't disagree with what you are saying. In any discussion you have to assume the other guy might just be right.
Jeremiah 18 and Romans 9 are interesting scriptures about how God forms, uses and grants Grace to his vessels. He never changes but we do.
I have been in the COC for many years and I realize they have chinks in their armor like most denominations do. Believe me, Jay is a breath of fresh air and I feel he will lead us out of our stagnation and love for legalism. I for one am adamant that there is absolutely nothing we can do to merit what Christ has done for us. Any effort to gain prestige or favor by works only results in pride and vanity and eventual death. We can be as lost by trying to merit salvation by our works as the worst of sinners in the world. Our efforts to do so is an insult to the infinite intelligence of God who has predestined all of this from before creation.
I do believe we can do absolutely NOTHING without te Holy Spirit to guide us into the right choice that will please God.
Our salvation does produce work as a result of the Holy Spirit giving us gifts. When we are born again there is something in us that wasn't there before, Eph. 2:10 before.
Thank you for your input. You like Randall are a challenge to completely understand. I appreciate your keen mind.
Praise God
Bob
Anon
I have some what of an advantage over most of my COC brothers. we have been members of 15 COC from New York to California. We have worshiped and been members of an interdenominational church which had in the membership about every denomination possible. Some were Calvinistic. Some were baptized as infants, some were sprinkled. Many believed that salvation comes after belief in Christ. We learned to exchange views and love one another anyway. But we tolerated each others views. We have worshiped with several evangelicals and they were different.
Many of my COC brothers are not very tolerant of folks with different views about scripture, especially salvation, works and the Holy Spirit, but we love them any way. I have to be careful in expressing my personal understanding about the Bible as it does unsettle a few.
Anyway that is where we come from.
Bob
John asked,
That is such an important question that I'm going to write a post speaking to it.
In response to your earlier question, yes, in my view, only commands are commands. Examples are examples. They are not commands. Inferences are inevitable — even necessary — but most of what we call "inferences" are not properly inferred. I recently posted a series on CENI which lays out my views in detail. /index-under-construction/t…
Bob,
What do you believe? Do you disagree with Jay when he argues that a Christian (one who is saved), can actuall fall away and be lost if he or she is not careful?
If not, on what do you base your belief? How do you explain (interpret) the passages which Jay has referrenced?
To anon, you said: "Thank you for your input. You like Randall are a challenge to completely understand. I appreciate your keen mind."
Unless I missed something, anon hasn't really addressed any of the passages which Jay has used to prove that a Christian actually CAN fall away. And then, he (anon) listed a series of scriptures that speak of God's faithfulness — but that in no kind of way contradict what Jay has written (as the Bible clearly teahes).
You then take a drive by shot at the coc for being legalistic before telling us about your church which has a membership consisting of "every denomination possible" and how you all believe different things. You even say that, "Many believed that salvation comes after belief in Christ." I mean, isn't that correct?
You seem proud of how you all "tolerate" every belief out there? You say that you, "…have to be careful in expressing (your) personal understanding about the Bible as it does unsettle a few."
But, how far will you take that?
I mean, is standing up for and defending whatever the Bible actually does teach (like how saved believers can lose their salvation), really being legalistic? If it is…
then why do you consider Jay to be "…a breath of fresh air and … feel he will lead us out of our stagnation and love for legalism"? Because he seems to be standing up for and defending his belief (which happens to be true).
If someone doesn’t believe God can be trusted with their life they don’t have to. I trust God with all of my life, everything about me is in His hands, my weaknesses, my fears, my doubts. Whatever Satan wants to throw at me, God is with me, He will protect me. I trust when I put my life in His hands there couldn’t be a more secure place to be. God is my strength, my stronghold, He always revives me, God helps me and holds me up even when I am at my weakest.
Psalm 18:1-2 “I will love You, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
Psalm 18:28 “For You will light my lamp; The LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.”
Psalm 32:7 “You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.”
Psalm 36:5 “Your mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.”
Psalm 37:39-40 “But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in the time of trouble. And the LORD shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, And save them, Because they trust in Him.”
Psalm 48:14 “For this is God, Our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to death.”
Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.”
Psalm 63:7-8 “Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me.”
Psalm 73:26 “My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
Psalm 91:1-2 “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”
Psalm 94:18 “If I say, “My foot slips,” Your mercy, O LORD, will hold me up.”
Psalm 103:12 “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.”
Psalm 121:2 “My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.”
Psalm 138:7 “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand Against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me.”
The Lord Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.”(John 10:27-30), Paul gives us assurance saying, “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”(Romans 8:38-39), “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” (Ephesians 1:13-14). We can be confident that God keeps us as He promises to complete what He started in us, “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6).
See?
Jay,
I read the "Clarifying…" post along with some of its comments from the link you provided.
Here is a quote (from one of your comments to a June 6 post, June 8@8:46, I think, I wish WordPress numbered these comments) that I'm not sure I understand: "The point is to honor the gospel and love for God and our neighbors — but not out of adherence to a command. You see, true love acts out of love and not fear of disobedience." I would say "…- and the only to do that is out of adherence to God's commands." Without the commands we don't know how to love.
I'm not sure what 'love acts out of love' means. It appears redundant to me. I would say "love acts through obedience to God's commands."
We both believe loving God is the great commandment and loving neighbor is the second. That is virtually a direct quote from Jesus. We both believe that one must obey God. I am confident you don't mean this, but, it seems to me, that some of the things you write could be taken as trivializing God's commands. But, I know that is not your intent. So, I am having trouble making coherence out of a lot you say in this area.
I often teach at White's Chapel that every Bible lesson is a lesson on the love of God. I actually said that in our devotional after class tonight, and have many other times. I believe the Bible teaches that my reciprocal love for Him cannot be separated from obedience to His commands, which inform me as to how to love Him. I am thinking we are on the same page here. But when you write things like I quoted above, I get real confused.
I trust God, but not as sure about Anon.
Wow, the COC denomination hasn't really changed much at all when it comes to those who disagree with them. Larry, if you really think you can bother me, guess what, you don't, and really I don't trust you either.
I do trust God with all of my life, I trust in His hands I am safe that there couldn’t be a more secure place to be, I trust God as my strength who holds me up even when I am at my waekest.
Psalm 18:1-2 “I will love You, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
Psalm 18:28 “For You will light my lamp; The LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.”
Psalm 32:7 “You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.”
Psalm 36:5 “Your mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.”
Psalm 37:39-40 “But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in the time of trouble. And the LORD shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, And save them, Because they trust in Him.”
Psalm 48:14 “For this is God, Our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to death.”
Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.”
Psalm 63:7-8 “Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me.”
Psalm 73:26 “My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
Psalm 91:1-2 “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”
Psalm 94:18 “If I say, “My foot slips,” Your mercy, O LORD, will hold me up.”
Psalm 103:12 “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.”
Psalm 121:2 “My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.”
Psalm 138:7 “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand Against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me.”
The Lord Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.”(John 10:27-30), Paul gives us assurance saying, “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”(Romans 8:38-39), “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” (Ephesians 1:13-14). We can be confident that God keeps us as He promises to complete what He started in us, “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6).